Wolf Man isn’t your classic run-of-the-mill werewolf film – it’s a clever exploration of fatherhood that elevates one of horror’s most iconic monsters.
Despite being a huge fan of director Leigh Whannell’s Invisible Man reboot (2020), I went into Wolf Man largely ambivalent. Given how surprisingly complex Whannell’s Invisible Man was, the idea of him capturing the same nuance, this time with werewolves, seemed like a near-impossible task.
As someone who grew up on Teen Wolf and Twilight, werewolves have always been one of the goofier horror monsters. While vampires have been afforded the space to be presented as thought-provoking creatures, the animalistic nature of werewolves has often overshadowed the potential for complexity.
However, Wolf Man shattered any preconceived notions I had going into the film and subsequently raised the bar for how the age-old folklore should be presented in modern cinema.
What is Wolf Man about?
Wolf Man is a reboot of the cult classic 1941 of the same name. When Blake (Christopher Abbot) is told his father Grady (Sam Jaeger) has been officially declared deceased, he decides to return to his inherited childhood home in Oregon with his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth).
Given Blake’s troubled relationship with his father, it’s been years since he’s set foot in the place he was raised. When arriving, the family of three are attacked by a creature and forced to bunker down in Blake’s family home to protect themselves from this unidentifiable animal.
While hiding, Blake begins to grow sick, an illness taking over his whole being and completely altering his demeanour, appearance and more. As the night goes on, Blake’s case worsens and his wife and daughter are forced to witness him descend into madness, transform into something that is far removed from humanity, all the while hiding from the creature lurking outside.
Grounded horror with a supernatural twist
Despite ultimately being a horror film about werewolves, Wolf Man maintains a well-reasoned and rational energy while still honoring the legacy of the monster that serves as the backbone of the story.
Director Whannell once again displays a fantastic understanding of horror and the idea that less is more, this small blink and you’ll miss it details of Wolf Man left me holding my breath even during the calmer moments of the film, the feeling that disaster could strike at any moment permeating throughout the whole film.
It’s a slow burn, relying on tension and slow-paced unravelling to deliver most of its frights. When the action does pick towards the end of the film, it’s a welcome pacing jump that feels all the more nefarious given how much of a role suspense plays throughout the first half.
The supernatural elements are not just thrown in for the sake of it but rather, cleverly interwoven into character development and story beats. Blake’s descent into madness as the affliction begins to take over his whole being is truly horrifying. To witness a man lose all sense of his being and humanity and then have no understanding or awareness is as emotional as it is terrifying.
I’ve also never seen a film delve so deep into the psychology of werewolves in such a unique way, from their altered scenes, animalistic tendencies and uncontrollable rage but conversely, questioning if there is any humanity left in those suffering from the affliction.
A pointed and nuanced narrative
There’s no denying that werewolf stories have been commonplace in the film and TV industry since its inception, but Wolf Man truly is a fresh take on the iconic monster and the genre.
Wolf Man interweaves its frights with a nuanced exploration of fatherhood, particularly the lengths a man would go to to protect his family from harm or danger.
During a particularly emotionally charged moment, Blake states to his daughter, “As a father, you become so scared of scarring your child, sometimes you’re the thing that scars them.” Poignant and introspective, this line encapsulates how Wolf Man’s story is both a monster film and an examination of the human condition.
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The jump scares will leave you gasping and fearful but the true devastation of Wolf Man comes from its narrative, similar to how the director managed to how The Invisible Man’s feminist commentary elevated the more conventional horror elements of the film.
Blake’s troubled relationship with his father Grady serves as the foundation for this overarching journey, the film cleverly drawing plenty of parallels between Blake’s upbringing and his relationship with his daughter Ginger.
Rather than extrapolating the narrative and trying to do more, Wolf Man doubles down on its narrative beats throughout, thereby telling a clear and concise story that will resonate with audiences unexpectedly.
Held back by a lack of origins exploration
Wolf Man’s concise narrative was tight and very consistent, by the time the credits rolled I did feel there was still more story to tell.
While I often enjoy when horror films leave things up to the imagining of the audience, the origins of the Wolf Man affliction were barely touched on at all and left me slightly frustrated by this lack of explanation. It’s made clear early on in this film that this disease is well known to locals and yet I felt slightly robbed that when the credits rolled, I left knowing just as little about its origins as when the film began.
Given that Blake’s relationship with his father Grady was such a central emotional heartbeat to the narrative, further exploration into their dynamic would have made the payoffs during the finale even more powerful.
While Blake’s struggling marriage to Charlotte is teased early on as being a similarly important relationship dynamic, their relationship is quickly cast aside in the name of survival. In saying this, Garner shines in the film and is much more than a mere secondary character or accessory to her leading man.
Visual and audio excellence
What elevates Wolf Man to heights well above an average monster flick is its atmosphere. While filled with plenty of scares expected from a horror film, Wolf Man is a feast for the eyes and ears.
New Zealand served as a fantastic location to capture the eerie beauty of Oregon, USA, from the wide landscape shots to the claustrophobic tightness of the woods, Wolf Man never misses when it comes to furthering its story through its environment.
It would be remiss of me not to shout out to the audio design of the film, the sound department holding nothing back when it came to ensuring the film soared even when there was no dialogue.
From the subtle sounds of exaggerated breaths, leaves flowing in the wind or dynamic audio for the more tense moments of the film, the attention to detail elevated Wolf Man to heights I was not expecting.
Wolf Man review score – 4/5
Wolf Man is a must-see for monster horror fans, particularly werewolf lovers. In saying that, Whannell’s reboot defies expectations to be a truly grounded experience, its emotional heart just as important and prevalent as the frights and scares.
Wolf Man is in US and UK cinemas on January 17, 2025.
